Wine Country Classic 2013

[John Z Goriup]

Yes, I'm fully aware that's the wrong name for this event but to me it'll always be the Wine Country Classic because at my age I just can't retain the new name of this event held annually in the spring at Sears Point, now Sonoma Raceway.

The event was held on May 18 / 19 '13 and has always been the second best Nor. Cal vintage motorsport event, right behind the Historics at Laguna Seca. There are various reasons I'm only posting this now:

1. I'm getting old, irrascible and my so-called mind just ain't what it used to be; in short, I forgot to post this when I got home that Saturday.

2. The event has shrunk quite a bit in scale, attendance and importance.........and this year's featured marque, Corvette, just doesn't do it for me as it did in my much younger years - besides, it's the lead marque at the Rennsport Reunion at Laguna Seca as well in August.

3. It's been hotter than Hell the last few days - I hate it when it's this hot and since I find myself unable to do good work on Ruprecht in 106 degree temps, I decided to engage in something less irritating than having sweat pour down my face, sat down to post this in the hope that at least some of you might enjoy it, drink some iced lemonade.........and stay inside.

The first two sets of 5 each feature some of the better, more interesting Corvettes at the track. I thought the silver ex-Mickey Thompson Stingray was very well done and restored, the Weber-carbed ex-John Mecom GS is always mighty impressive to behold ( and to hear run ) and I think the Gullstrandt metallic-blue Corvette is a huge improvement over the current factory offering.

JZG

[John Z Goriup]

......and another set of five

[John Z Goriup]

In 1960 I turned 21 and to celebrate what to me back then was an event of some importance, I treated myself to a brand new Jaguar XKE Coupe, one of the cars in the first batch to arrive in the US. Loved the car at first, but soon all the expensive horrors of Lucas electrics, Smith Instruments, Girling brakes, SU carburetteres with their godamned dashpots, 12 quart oil changes and a myriad other British-made delights turned on me, just as everyone said they would, and made my life a living Hell. Yet nowadays, viewed through rose colored Talbot rear-view mirrors I have seriously thought about a re-created Lightweight aluminum XKE and feel that with some thought and careful research, the aftermarket industry has finally given us E-Jags we can actually drive and enjoy without the foibles and predictable problems of the originals.

This one is from Washington State and seemed like a well-done copy of the Briggs Cunningham XKEs he entered in LeMans back in the day.

Photo #3 is of the outlet of the trunk-mounted oil-cooler.

The last photo is of a 3-liter Lister-Maserati.

[John Z Goriup]

The English motif continues.........except #5, a Hudson Twin-H Hornet, without which it was quite difficult to win a stock car race back ( as the Series was called then ) in its day in the early '50s, before Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs became the hot things to have.

[John Z Goriup]

for the last set, one of the most consistently fast 911s at this track, a very clean and sound '67 2-liter 911S, the George Follmer driven 917 with a rare view of the rear compartment, fully-opened up at the Canepa display, and a rare 4-cylinder 2.5 liter Ferrari.

Thanks for looking,

JZG

[Chuck Miller]

Excellent shoot'n John.......